Is there a Relationship?

Work with the people in your group to measure the following for each person.

All measurementsshould be in centimeters.

Put each measurement into the indicated lists on the second page.

• length of armspan (fingertip to fingertip,arms outstretched) into List 1

• your height into List 2

• the length of your thumb into List3

• the length of your ear into List 4

• the distance from the top of your head to your belly button into List 5

• the distance from your belly button to your feet into List 6

Once everyone has completed their measurements, all the information will becollected and added to your list.

Whenyou have all this information, use your calculator to find averages (mean) for each list.

The lists will be used to create several different graphs called “scatter plots”.

See information below about how to do this.

Graph 1: armspan versus height

Graph 2: thumb versus ear

Graph 3: head to belly button versus bellybutton to feet

Graph 4: thumb versus height

For each graph:

a) Describe what your graph looks like. eg are thepoints (roughly) all in a line?

b)Does the data in the graph show a relationship? Describe what you notice.

c) If there is a relationship, explain it in words or with an algebraic equation if you can.

Drawing ascatter plot:

eg Graph1: armspan versus height (List1 v List 2)

• If you have access to a computer,select one of the graphs to be drawn and transfer your data to the computer program.

  
  

  Your teacher/mentor will show you how to do this.

• To draw it by hand on graph paper:

1. Check the range of measurements iefrom smallest to largest in each list.

2. Each axis of your scatter plotshould start with zero, so decide ascale to fit the largest measurement in.

3. Label the bottom axis (theHORIZONTAL one) as armspan and labelusing the scale you chose.

4. Repeat this with the VERTICAL axislabelled as height.

5. Enter your points. The points should NOT be joined up!

6. Put a label (name) at the top of your graph.

7. Your teacher will show you how todraw a “line of best fit” through some of the points.

Some interesting information: